《Stitch-Up Heart [litRPG-lite Magic School Mystery]》 1. Crossing Boundaries, Magical and Personal Meredith stood with her back against the bitter wind and crouched her small frame into the large coat she wore. In vain, she searched for a friendly face among the other four teenagers. Any acknowledgment of hesitant camaraderie would be welcome; a shared nervous glance, a smile, a wink, anything. None of the other four Apprentices gathered before the boundary to the Academy looked her way. The boundary was almost invisible, but sometimes the light from the street lamps would catch its iridescent glimmer, and Meredith would see the wall of magic around the Academy of Sorcerers. It was a shimmer, like an obscenely large soap bubble. It totally encompassed the stonework building, in front of which the small group was gathered. The Academy building was gothic and very impressive. It did not have the upward momentum of a cathedral, choosing to sprawl rather than reach to the heavens. In the gloom of night, Meredith could barely make out the finer details, but she spotted buttresses, thin tall windows, and cloisters with elegant columns. It looked rather like a monastery. Meredith had a distinct impression that she was being given up to a convent. Maybe, that would have been a better path for her anyway. But, the quiet life of a nun was not what destiny had in mind for Meredith. They could not cross the obstinate soap bubble. One of the teenagers, a short boy with dark, slicked-back hair, tried to stride through like the Academy was his backyard patio, but as soon as he came in contact with the shimmering wall, he was knocked back, landing in an undignified heap on the smooth, age-worn cobbles. His chaperone, maybe his father or an uncle, helped the boy up. Meredith thought she heard the man scold the boy, but the words were lost in the driving wind. There were two other boys, besides the one who fell. One had fair hair and glasses. He was accompanied by a man and a woman, presumably his father and mother. Another boy was rather gangly and toothy. He had no chaperone, no one to accompany him. At the very end of the group, farthest from Meredith was another girl. She was tall, wearing all black, and had a grim and focused expression on her pale face. Meredith resumed staring forward, her mother¡¯s reassuringly warm hand clutching her shoulder. It was the only source of comfort against the biting winter wind, and the fear of the unknown which lay before Meredith. But, her mother would be gone soon, back to the little town Meredith Taylor called home. And all her strength and courage would go with her mother, leaving Meredith with nothing but her roiling stomach and her shaking hands. Meredith¡¯s mother would probably take the first train back, tomorrow morning, intent on re-opening their little caf¨¦. The dear little caf¨¦, at the end of a dead-end street, off a rarely traveled road, in an obscure town, where no one ever visited. They had almost closed the last three years, but somehow, Meredith''s mother always managed to squeak by. Meredith stood on the cobbled road with four other young adults, all crowded by their respective chaperones, hoping against hope that here, finally, she might fit in. Maybe, if fortune truly smiled on young Meredith, she would even make friends. But looking around, Meredith didn¡¯t think it was likely. The Academy only admitted the top of the top, the creamiest of the crop, and she was only there by pure happenstance. A chance encounter threw Meredith on this path, and she felt she was woefully underprepared.
The street lamps threw their shadows wildly out of proportion. A figure emerged from the brick building. He strode through the courtyard, decorated with greenery, and stopped in front of the shivering group. He was familiar to Meredith. Imposing, greying, and important, this man was Grand Master Reymous, the head of the Academy. He didn¡¯t waste time and immediately began to speak. ¡°I address now those that have brought forth the newest Apprentices,¡± He looked around at the parents, standing behind their teenagers. Everyone fell silent when the Grand Master started to speak. ¡°You may leave. The Apprentices will begin their Initiation tonight. I will keep you informed, but know this, very little communication is allowed during the course of an Initiation. Say your goodbyes now.¡± Meredith turned to her mom and gave her a very long hug. Her mom whispered comforting words in her ear, and Meredith let one tear fall down her cheek, hoping that her mother¡¯s curly hair would hide this sign of weakness from the other Apprentices, and from Master Reymous. Everyone hurried under Master Reymous¡¯s piercing gaze. It was only a few minutes, and then all the chaperones were leaving, far down the street, and growing smaller. Meredith was alone, with four other teenagers that she had never met before. Meredith looked around at the other young apprentices, now standing alone and shivering in the night. Maybe she could get along with the other girl in their group? Meredith looked over; the other girl was so imposing, her expression so haughty, her clothes so fine, well-tailored but severe, that Meredith was sure that this young woman would have nothing to do with a squat little nobody like herself.
As they passed through the shimmering boundary, Meredith felt ticklish. She was not the only one. The others all twitched and squirmed, as they crossed over onto Academy property. And although they did not know it, it would be some time before any of them would cross back over the boundary, the dividing line between Sorcery and mundane life. ¡°This is Black Abbey,¡± Master Reymous spoke, as they crossed the courtyard. ¡°The birthplace of the Twilight King. It has passed through many hands and has seen hundreds of masters. It is my great pleasure to welcome you here, to the womb of modern Sorcery, as well as the starting point of your own road into the powers of twilight and shadow.¡± He led them inside into one of the taller buildings. It appeared that it was once a chapel. The pews were still there, as well as a raised podium, from which a priest might deliver his sermon. All religious regalia had been stripped, however. There were only pews and candles, and the hush of the nervous young adults. Master Reymous strode over to the raised dais and turned back to them. All the apprentices huddled in front of him, expectant faces turned towards the older man. ¡°First, understand this,¡± Master Reymous began speaking, his voice cacophonously echoing off the tall, stone walls, ¡°This is not some home brew, country-bumpkin Initiation. You are attending the finest magical institution. As such, we expect only the highest quality of students. And this is why you¡¯re here. You are not here to become some backwoods cunning folk, dealing spells, and potions for a Bone or two. You are here to become, eventually, Master Sorcerers. The Guild depends on talented young students, such as yourselves, to prove themselves, and then, of course, to remain loyal to the very institution which gave them such a bright start so early in their lives.¡± When the Master began his speech, Meredith stood and listened raptly. But he went on, and on, and on. Slowly, her attention waned, as natural as the tide receding off a shoreline. She was, of course, frightened of displeasing this officious man, so she kept her eyes dutifully on him, as she caught bits and pieces of his interminable welcome. ¡°You will face challenges. You may face them together or alone. But face them you shall, and, hopefully, come out stronger on the other end.¡± She snuck glances at the others. The tall girl seemed focused and was probably soaking in Master Reymous¡¯s every word. ¡°After you have faced the challenges, I will conduct the Closing Ceremony. Provided all of you have passed, you will participate in this Ceremony, and then I will take your magical education in hand.¡± The Master kept talking. Meredith noticed one of the boys, the one with glasses, fidgeting with his hands in his pockets. His eyes wavered over the dais, languidly, and then started wandering the rest of the chapel. ¡°With me as your teacher, we will fill in any gaps you have left from your Initiation. We will enhance your skills, your knowledge, but first, you must be left alone, as alone, sans guide, is the way to travel the crooked path of Sorcery, the twisted road which has started in this Abbey a millennia ago.¡± Meredith noticed that Master Reymous, (who was still talking) was standing next to a spindly table, on which there were vials of something. She tried to make it out, but the half-light of the candles made it difficult. ¡°Now, let us begin!¡± The Master announced and clapped his hands. Meredith snapped to attention, hoping she had not missed something important. ¡°Mistress Addlebern!¡± The Master announced. ¡°Did he say her name was Mistress? What a strange name.¡± She heard one of the boys whisper to another. ¡°Addlebern¡¯s daughter! Must be.¡± She heard another whisper. Meredith looked at the other girl with a pang of recognition. She had heard, in passing, about General Addlebern. He was, in fact, a national hero, who tragically passed away in a battle against the Southern Rebels, not even two years prior. Meredith, who had lost her own father, looked upon Mistress in admiration. The other girl was so sure, so self-possessed as she strode up to the dais. Mistress Addlebern curtseyed, formally, in front of the Master Sorcerer, and awaited his words with a noble look of resignation. ¡°Do you choose to pursue the Sorcerer¡¯s path, the crooked path, the poison path, the path of shadows, which leads through twilight and fog?¡± The master droned on and on, describing the path of the Sorcerer as one shrouded in mystery and suspicion, always on the brink of being an outcast, yet always on the verge of being a hero. Meredith thought that the outcast stuff was rich, coming from one of the most influential institutions in the country, The old man finished speaking and asked Mistress Addlebern a question. ¡°Do you accept the path?¡± Mistress Addlebern confidently said: ¡°I do, Master.¡± Then, the old man handed her a small vial. As Mistress Addlebern held up the vial, Meredith could see that it was stoppered, and full of some kind of dark liquid sloshing languidly in the confines of the glass, glittering like the night sky. Mistress promptly pocketed the vial and left the dais. All the boys had found some kind of camaraderie between them, and as the tall girl walked down the stone steps, Meredith could hear them whispering to each other. Meredith knew that if she had thought that the boys were whispering about her, she would blush from the roots of her hair down to her toes. But Mistress didn¡¯t seem to care in the slightest. She stared on ahead, at the next Apprentice who was called. Solomon Beaugiron, a toothy, and exceedingly hairy boy strode up to the dais. He cast a dark glance at the other Apprentices, then at the Master Sorcerer. When the Master gave his short speech, the boy answered yes, but Meredith could feel, like other fidgeting apprentices, that Solomon was not happy to be here. He slouched off the dais, and the next Apprentice was called. The boys were all called, in succession. Meredith listened intently for their names, wondering if she might recognize another famous General, or perhaps even royalty among them. But none of the other names rang a bell. The other two boys, Edward Haoulle and Julius Snell followed Solomon. And, before she felt she was truly ready, it was Meredith Taylor¡¯s turn. She walked to the small podium, afraid that her feet would give out with every step. The black boots, a staple of Sorcerers, and which her mother had scrounged for and finally bought her daughter, felt like they would turn on Meredith with a snarl, and trip her on the stone steps leading her up to the wizened Master. Once she got up to the Master Sorcerer, she was all too nervous to actually listen to the old man''s words, unconsciously wringing her hands, feeling the moistness of sweat on her forehead. Before Meredith was aware of what was happening, the Master was done with his speech. ¡°Do you accept the path?¡± He asked. Did she? Meredith did not have too many ambitions in her life. She had come to the Academy solely because she was offered an invitation, by that selfsame Master Reymous, who stood in front of her now, his gray goatee highlighting his frown. He had seen her working in her mother¡¯s caf¨¦. She was sweeping the floors, and as she did, she spoke lightly and softly to her broom. It had become a habit. Years of loneliness had forced her to make friends in the most unlikely places. To Meredith''s surprise, sometimes the objects with which she conversed, talked back. The broom was such a case. Sometimes, the fire poker got mouthy. Less frequently, the snails which were all over her mother''s little garden complained about the weather. Let me tell you, this gift did not endear Meredith to her classmates. When Julie Evans, the blondest and prettiest girl in Meredith''s class spied little Meredith clutching a snail, holding it gently to her ear, and listening to the tiny words, Julie had instantly come up with the nickname that would follow Meredith all her years of schooling. ¡°She¡¯s not just slimy, she¡¯s where the slime is made. Like a slime factory. She¡¯s a slime-ary.¡± It wasn¡¯t particularly clever, or particularly funny, but because Meredith was already an outcast, and because most of the other kids adored Julie, Slimeary Taylor was known as such for the foreseeable future. She had tried to laugh it off, but the kids always jeered, and added other insults on top, until poor Meredith, blushing and almost crying from shame, had to run away, run back to her mother¡¯s dear caf¨¦. The caf¨¦. How many more seasons of a handful of patrons a week, how many more months of being deep in the red, could her mother last, before finally shuttering the cobalt-blue windowpanes, hanging the ¡®Closed¡¯ sign, and calling it quits. It had been her mother¡¯s dream to run a caf¨¦, but every year that wish proved to be a fine line between dream and nightmare. There just wasn¡¯t good business to be had in Underwood. The town was too small. The patronage was too sparse. And the few, lost or confused travelers who happened to wander through Underwood, generally didn''t have enough money to keep the Taylor caf¨¦, aptly named the Sinking Swan, afloat. Her mother was ecstatic, when Grand Master Sorcerer Reymous, the only caf¨¦ patron of one stormy November evening (which seemed so long ago but was only a few months prior), announced he would take young Meredith under his wing, and bring her to the Academy. ¡°A Sorcerer Meredith! Do you know what an opportunity this is? What a golden ticket?¡± Her mother always tried to be so optimistic. It was just her nature. Even when the caf¨¦ had seen no customers for days, her mother was always preparing for a lunch rush. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure I¡¯d be very good, is all.¡± Answered Meredith to her mother, the night before they packed up and headed to the Academy. ¡°Oh nonsense, of course, you¡¯ll be good. You¡¯ll be great! Do you think that stodgy old man picks up any young lady he sees sweeping the floor? He saw something special in you, Merry!¡± Her mother¡¯s words, usually a tonic of balm for little Meredith, did not assuage her fears. She was always the weirdo, the strange girl who hung back in the shadows, too afraid of the other kids to even approach them. Meredith didn¡¯t think the Academy would change that. She would probably stick out like a sore thumb, among the other Apprentices, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before she was treated much in the same way as she was back at school in Underwood. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. But, being a Sorcerer was a much more lucrative career than that of a caf¨¦ owner. Maybe, if she did well, she could come back to her mother. She could rescue the caf¨¦ from sure bankruptcy. She could sell mystical potions and arcane artifacts alongside her mother¡¯s baking, bringing much-needed business to the Sinking Swan. Meredith knew that her mother desperately needed something to keep the family from absolute poverty. ¡°Meredith?¡± The master¡¯s soft voice drew her out of her own head. ¡°Y-yes, I do Master.¡± She answered quickly, because what choice did she have?
The five young Apprentices did not know it, but this was the last day of their former lives, and nothing would be the same in the morning. Or, for that matter, ever again. All five walked away with an identical vial full of a liquid that resembled stardust and an inky night sky. After they received the vials, they were led by Master Reymous into a room, cramped and not very comfortable, with five identical beds. The Master called it their dormitory. After all five young men and women filed in, the door clicked shut behind them. Master Reymous did not follow them in. Judging by the welcoming speech, and all the talk of lonesome, perilous roads, it would probably be a long time before the Apprentices would see Master Reymous again. Sitting on a thin mattress, Meredith examined the vial under the weak lamplight. Her skinny bed had been pushed to one side of the small room, and the Addlebern girl¡¯s bed was right next to Meredith¡¯s. The boys were on the other side of the room, but there was no wall, not even a curtain, separating the two genders. Meredith was already a girl of seventeen, but she was still clueless and hopelessly na?ve about the opposite gender. Just the idea of sleeping in the same room with three boys made her hopelessly unsure, but also distractingly curious. Would she see the boys changing? It would certainly be a first. No boy had ever paid Meredith the least scrap of attention. It was a curse, a social death, to be friendly with Slimeary Taylor. Meredith had no idea what the hometown boys thought of her, as they all were in agreement to simply ignore her. And the ones that didn¡¯t, usually only broke the ranks to play some sort of elaborate prank on Meredith, or call her names. Apparently, she wasn¡¯t the only one unsettled by their living arrangements. ¡°We¡¯re not actually going to live in one room, are we? That¡¯s mad! I mean, there are girls here-¡± Said a weedy, short boy that Meredith remembered was named Julius Snell. He had dark hair that contrasted sharply with his very pale, and thin face. ¡°That one doesn¡¯t look a day over thirteen. I¡¯m not going to live with little kids, little girls, in the same bedroom!¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually seventeen!¡± Meredith said defensively. ¡°But, I¡¯m short for my age¡­¡± She added, unsure, not wanting the Julius boy to pick her as a target of future reprobation. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m seventeen too!¡± The boy named Edward said, throwing Meredith a quick, and disposable smile. Meredith clutched at it like it was a life raft. The Addlebern girl rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re all seventeen. That¡¯s the age when Initiation is done. Traditionally.¡± The serious girl said. Julius Snell complained further about the substandard accommodations. Apparently, his father, an influential banker, had paid for young Julius¡¯s invitation to the Academy. Mr. Snell must have coughed up a fortune, because even Meredith, who was very dimly aware of the world of Sorcerers knew, that the Academy did not have set tuition. Only the Guild Master, and the Academy Master, may invite Apprentices, at their leisure. ¡°My father would go berserk if he knew that we had to sleep like this. Even our servants have better rooms, I mean really¡­¡± The boy eventually ran out of steam, and the subject turned to each young Apprentice''s family and origins. ¡°No need to ask yours,¡± Julius smirked at Mistress, ¡°Everyone knows about Great and Noble General Cassius Addlebern, the Hero of the Southern Wars.¡± Meredith looked uneasily at the other girl. She expected a wince of pain, or a grimace of displeasure, having the girl''s dead father brought up in such an uncouth manner. But the girl''s features remained blank, as though the conversation did not concern her. ¡°Yes, everyone knows my father.¡± That was all Mistress had to say. It turned out that Edward Haoulle was the son of two famous, traveling stage actors. ¡°Mum and Dad took me on the road everywhere. I¡¯ve been from Provincetown and down to Tunnoipe, oh half a dozen times now.¡± The tall, bespectacled boy told the room, pushing his glasses up his long nose. ¡°Mum thought I had a gift for magic. I¡¯m not so sure myself, but she had Master Reymous take a look. Old friend of hers. The Master said I would do.¡± When Meredith''s turn to speak came, she blurted out that she was nobody special, that Master Reymous had seen her working in her mother¡¯s shop, and took an interest. Her aim was to say the least amount possible, before disappearing from the group¡¯s collective notice, but her explanation only provoked more questions. ¡°What did you do? Why did he notice you?¡± ¡°Did you do magic in front of him?¡± ¡°You must have known he was the Master of the Academy. Sly stuff.¡± Meredith tried to correct them, but no one listened, the group deciding that Meredith had cunningly planned to impress the Initiation Master, as he visited her mother¡¯s caf¨¦, and eventually, her turn at introductions was over. ¡°What about you?¡± Snell turned to the dark Solomon, who had said nothing, and brooded in his corner cot, silent like a thunder cloud. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°None of your business. And anyway, won¡¯t matter as I don¡¯t ever plan to return.¡± He bit out, the bitterness creating a stiff mask on the boy¡¯s dark face. All the others were surprised by the outburst, and Solomon blushed a deep red when he realized that he had let his emotions get the better of him. It was obvious that the remark was only half-meant for the people in the dim dormitory. But whoever Solomon had really spoken to, whatever shadow haunted him, no one asked. Everyone looked around embarrassed, and the conversation ground to a halt for several moments. Only Mistress seemed unperturbed. Her coal-black eyes kept impassively observing Solomon as though he was a particularly interesting book. ¡°Right then, nice to meet everyone.¡± Edward salvaged the situation, quickly dissipating the tension in the air. ¡°Anyone knows what comes next? Clue me in, old pals.¡± Unconsciously, all eyes slid towards Mistress Addlebern, to provide them with an answer. ¡°We drink these,¡± she held up her vial, ¡°and then pick our Sign.¡± She explained to the group. The conversation nervously moved to the Signs, and there it darted back and forth, like a confused rabbit, looking for its den in unfamiliar woods. Meredith became aware of the Signs as soon as she knew she was going to the Academy. She had found a shiny pamphlet in her local bookstore. So You Want to Be a Sorcerer! The blocky title letters proclaimed. In this pamphlet, which touched with utmost brevity on many subjects too dense, too arcane to be seriously explored in a trifold, Meredith learned that each Sorcerer had a Sign. There were twelve Signs in total. As far as she could gather, these Signs were as important in Sorcery as flour and sugar were in bakeries, and tea and coffee were to cafes and tearooms. Meredith had tried to memorize them, hoping it might help her somehow in the Academy. She knew she was ill-prepared. It was part and parcel of her nervousness, coming to the esteemed Sorcerer¡¯s Academy with no background, no experience to speak of. The Signs she remembered best were the animals: Snake, Rabbit, Sparrow, and Octopus. She thought she might like to pick one of those Signs, if for no reason other than she liked animals, and they generally liked her back. Then, she thought there might be a few plant signs, maybe Oak and another tree. Oh, Palm! Palm was definitely a Sign she knew. There were two other plants, but Meredith struggled to remember what they were. Four animals, four plants, and four objects; Meredith had made neat columns in her head for the Signs, and noticing that each one belonged to one of three categories, divided them up for easier recall. Except Meredith¡¯s nerves always made remembering things impossible. She could spend all night studying for her classes. Meredith would be sure, the night before, that she had all the information neatly and primly folded in her head, like socks in a drawer. But then, come test day (Meredith was the worst test taker) all she could think about was the ticking clock, the other students glaring at her back, and the teacher¡¯s strict countenance; all the socks of knowledge flew right out of Meredith¡¯s head. This was the case now. Meredith had read everything she could find on Sorcery. Her local bookshop had a very scant collection, and her school library was even worse. Of the scraps she did find, she had tried to commit the most important aspects to memory. But, being around four other teenagers, being in the same dormitory as them, and having to share living quarters with boys, it was all simply too much. Meredith was very scared that they would immediately single her out as an idiot, a faker, and she would make a name even worse than Slimeary for herself, in this new world of Sorcerers. ¡°Anyone know what they¡¯re going to pick?¡± Edward asked, nervously looking at the other Apprentices. ¡°Obviously, going to skip right over Ladle and Pitchfork.¡± Julius started his enumeration. ¡°Oak and Palm seem okay,¡± the boy said, looking at the ceiling as he thought, ¡°Snake is too one dimensional, and anyway, I need no help with romance if you catch my drift.¡± Snake¡¯s main attribute was romance, Meredith gathered. That one was probably off the table for Meredith. As far as she remembered, each Sign had different attributes, which would theoretically help a Sorcerer with one area of their life or another. Meredith very clearly remembered that there had been no Sign that helped with nervousness or shyness. Otherwise, she would have circled it, jotted it down, maybe even tattooed it, and picked it. ¡°Oh, a lady killer are you?¡± Edward asked, raising one eyebrow. ¡°Still at large, wanted in three counties.¡± Julius quipped back with a wolfish grin. Meredith blushed, but the girl next to her, Mistress, snorted derisively. ¡°And what will the General¡¯s daughter be picking, if I may presume to ask?¡± Julius asked the other girl. ¡°Arrow.¡± Was the girl¡¯s short answer. ¡°Makes sense for a General¡¯s daughter, doesn¡¯t it. Too easy to read, you are.¡± Julius said, and Meredith had the impression he was trying to draw out Mistress, inviting her to the battlefield of words. It didn¡¯t work. The other girl remained silent and made no move to answer the boy in kind. ¡°Then there¡¯s Octopus,¡± Julius continued, unperturbed, ¡°that one seems okay¡­¡± Probably in an effort to stop Julius from going through each Sign, Edward turned towards Meredith. ¡°What about you? You got one picked out?¡± He asked her. ¡°Oh, um, not really, maybe- maybe Sparrow, or, or Rabbit.¡± Meredith said, clutching at the scraps of information she could retain as the boys¡¯ eyes bored into her blushing face. ¡°Shy one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Julius piped up, and Meredith felt her blush deepen. The boy laughed, but there was no real malice in it. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t let it worry you. I prefer a shy lass, a wilting violet. Better than a condescending bi- princess.¡± The boy finished, and, even though everyone knew the last bit referred to Mistress, no one had the courage to look at her to see how the remark landed (it barely made an impact on the girl¡¯s stony face). Meredith wanted to jump under the covers. She wanted to sink through the floor. She did not want to be compared to the admirable, confident, all-knowing girl, sitting calmly and coolly, a few feet to her right. She knew such a comparison would make Meredith come up embarrassingly short. And, much more importantly, she did not want to make an enemy out of the much more capable girl. Meredith remembered Julie Evans much too vividly to tangle with another girl like that. ¡°Anyway,¡± Julius continued, totally unphased, ¡°I would not take Sparrow or Rabbit. My advice only, here, lass, but do give old Julius your ear. They aren¡¯t as low as Ladle or Pitchfork on the totem pole, but close enough.¡± ¡°I was actually thinking about Sparrow,¡± Edward spoke up, and the attention blissfully moved away from Meredith. Apparently, Sparrow was good for travel, something Meredith made herself try, very hard, to remember. Edward figured it would be a good Sign for himself, as he would probably continue his rambling life, living with the troupe of actors he had always lived with. ¡°I¡¯d have pegged you as a Water Lily, no offense.¡± Julius said to Edward. ¡°None taken,¡± Edward said, nonplussed, confused as to why Water Lily would cause any offense, ¡°But I¡¯m not trying to follow my folk¡¯s footsteps. Just don¡¯t have the artistic fire in me, truth be told.¡± He explained. ¡°Ah, what a shame,¡± Julius said. Water Lily helped artists. Meredith¡¯s eyebrows crawled low over her eyes, as she tried to remember this tidbit, and file it away with the rest. No one asked the dark boy, Solomon, what he would pick. The subject wound down, and eventually, Edward spoke up again, voicing the fears that were in Meredith¡¯s heart as well. ¡°Er, does anyone actually know how we¡¯ll pick them? I gather it has to do with the potion, but what¡¯s actually going to happen to us?¡± He asked the room at large, but all four sets of eyes turned towards Mistress Addlebern. She had become the unspoken, unelected, but still very palpably real leader, of the five Apprentices. Noticing everyone¡¯s attention, Mistress took a moment and then spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll drink these potions, then go to sleep. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll wake up, and already have our Signs.¡± She said, holding up the vial. ¡°So, we pick them, in our sleep?¡± Asked Julius, forgetting to load his question with a barbed remark. ¡°Yes.¡± Mistress answered. ¡°Right then, I suppose we should start getting ready to bed down¡­¡± Edward said, and started rummaging in his traveling trunk. Meredith looked around. Before coming to the Academy, she had received an official Memorandum from the Guild of Sorcerers. The other Apprentices must have received identical instructions to her own. Reading past the directions, time, and place of their first meeting (10 pm. February First, the Courtyard of the Fine Academy of Sorcerous Arts in Black Abbey, Leytown, 10 miles north of Celine City), Meredith had found enclosed a list of things to bring along with her. It was very short, which made Meredith, and her mother, very happy. To Bring: On Bag of Clothes, enough to last a week, or less, if more frequent laundering is preferred. On Bag of Products required by the Apprentice to maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene. Bring nothing else, but your own self, and the clothes on your back. ¡°Look, they don¡¯t even need you to buy anything. Oh thank goodness, Merry, this is really happening!¡± Her mother had exclaimed, reading the list over the girl¡¯s shoulder. Upon the group¡¯s decision to get ready for bed, they immediately ran into a problem. There were three boys and two girls, and despite Julius¡¯s bold claims of romantic victories, no one, including him, was keen on getting out of their traveling clothes in front of the opposite gender. After all, they had only just met. They searched the room, and found, behind Solomon¡¯s corner bed, a door, tucked out of the way, which led to a bathroom even more cramped than the dormitory. ¡°Now, if I may propose something,¡± Julius said, ¡°There are two girls and three guys. Why don¡¯t our comrades of the fairer sex take the bathroom, and us guys will change here, in the dormitory?¡± Again, four pairs of eyes moved to Mistress, seeing whether she approved the decision. The girl shrugged, picked up some belonging out of her traveling bag, and strode to the bathroom. So, it was settled. Meredith grabbed her own night things and followed the other girl. She tried to stay out of the other girl¡¯s way as much as possible. Meredith practically melted into the bathroom wall, trying to give Mistress room to maneuver. The other girl looked quizzically at Meredith, and began to change her clothes. She was lean, muscular, and much more developed. Meredith tried to look away to give the other girl privacy, but they were scrunched together in the tiny room, and there was barely any place to even cast a glance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to change?¡± The other girl asked. ¡°Oh, r-right. I suppose I should.¡± Meredith said, barely above a whisper. As she clawed off her clothes, almost getting tied up in her sweater as she took it off, Meredith noticed that Mistress Addlebern moved a little to the side, to give Meredith more space. She almost tripped over her clothes, hastening to get them off, and then put her nightshirt on. She managed, her cheeks flushed by the time she finished, convinced that Mistress Addlebern thought her a clumsy idiot. ¡°What do you think of our schoolmates?¡± Mistress asked her casually, as she started to brush her long, dark hair. ¡°Oh, they seem very nice, really nice guys, only¡­¡± ¡°Only?¡± Mistress asked. ¡°I¡¯m not too keen on sharing a room with boys, to be honest.¡± Meredith blurted out. Mistress let out a small chuckle. ¡°Me neither. Especially with that mouthy one, the lady-killer. But we¡¯ll make do, I¡¯m sure.¡± Her voice was rich and her tone, even when casually chatting, carried an aura of command. It dawned on Meredith that this was the most Mistress had spoken since they¡¯d come to the Academy. And, for some reason, she was choosing to speak with Meredith. Watching the other girl brush her hair, Meredith started to dig through her own bag. ¡°I forgot my comb¡­¡± Meredith blurted out before she could stop herself. ¡°Oh, here, borrow mine,¡± Mistress easily slid her own brush into Meredith¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you, Mistress!¡± Meredith said and thought that the other girl¡¯s name really was quite strange. Saying it like that, made it sound like Mistress Addlebern was somehow in charge of Meredith. A slight smile, like the first warm breeze on the coldest side of a mountain. The first ray of sun peaking behind a cloud after a monster of a thunderstorm. ¡°You can just call me Tess.¡±
¡°I should let you all know before we go to sleep,¡± Solomon started to talk, and everyone remembered the sullen boy, in the corner cot. They were all getting ready for bed, vials in hand, laying under their blankets. ¡°I have nightmares sometimes¡­¡± He said, and took a long, heavy pause, before continuing. ¡°Feel free to ignore me, if I start making noises.¡± Solomon said, his face in a deep frown, ¡°Or wake me up if you¡¯ve had enough.¡± The others voiced their assent, promising they would wake him up, and then it was finally time to do the deed. ¡°Bottoms up!¡± Julius yelled, and Meredith, her hand shaking madly, emptied the contents of the small vial down her throat. Nothing happened. They all looked at each other, thinking the same thing. What a letdown. One after another, they all went to sleep. Each would have a nearly identical dream that night. Each Apprentice, besides one. 2. My Tattoo is Cooler Than Yours The first morning of Meredith¡¯s Initiation could best be described as complete and utter pandemonium. The first to wake up was Julius, as it was his shrieking that seized the rest of the Apprentices by their ears, and hefted them, none too gently, out of the languor of dreams. ¡°There¡¯s something on me! There¡¯s something on me!¡± He was shouting. Without thinking, without considering the consequences or the reasons, still half asleep, Meredith slipped out of her bed and ran over to the boy to see what was on him, see if she could help. Her dream was still reeling in her head like an old movie, once watched long ago, the scenes coming in flashes of memory. ¡°There¡¯s something on me, something on my chest!¡± The boy was clawing at his bare skin. He had ripped off his shirt upon waking up when he noticed that there was some dark shape underneath it. ¡°It looks like,¡± Meredith rubbed her bleary eyes clear, ¡°It looks like a tattoo.¡± She said. Meredith was right. A black mark spread, tendrils curving, over the boy''s chest. Julius and Meredith examined it, the boy bending his neck at an awkward angle to see. He had calmed down now, realizing the thing on his chest was a part of his skin, not some alien creature intent on burrowing itself inside his skin to live there, and lay eggs. ¡°How could I have gotten a tattoo? I mean, that¡¯s something I would remember. I just woke up like this, like it¡¯s always been here.¡± Julius asked, but no one answered. Even Mistress Addlebern was silent. Perhaps she did not know the cause of Julius''s strange marks either? Edward Haoulle was up now, and as he placed his glasses on the bridge of his long nose, he noticed something too. ¡°Hey, she¡¯s got one!¡± He proclaimed, pointing at Meredith, ¡°On her leg!¡± Meredith whirled around, looking for the offending mark. Edward¡¯s point and loud exclamation made her heart hammer. It reminded her, on an instinctual level, of being singled out and laughed at. But Edward was innocently pointing out that Meredith did have a new mark, which ran down the side of her calf, knee to ankle. On her ankle, the black line divided into five segments. ¡°It looks like a trident, I think, or some kind of fork¡­¡± Julius said, examining Meredith¡¯s leg. ¡°No,¡± Meredith said, remembering her dream from last night, ¡°It¡¯s a Pitchfork.¡± ¡°Pitchfork,¡± Julius said, then bent his head again to examine his chest, ¡°that must mean¡­¡± And they all saw it now. The black tendrils, curving from a shaded point over Julius''s heart, were the arms of an Octopus. ¡°My Sign! Julius went from frightened to elated, all very quickly. ¡°Mine¡¯s here!¡± Edward said, and showed them all his left palm. A flower was there. A Water Lily. They looked to Mistress, and she silently held up her arms to show them two long lines along each forearm, running from her elbow to her palm, the ends terminating in- ¡°Arrow!¡± Julius pronounced. ¡°Knew you¡¯d get it!¡± He said, winking at Mistress. The girl crossed her arms, making an ¡®X¡¯ with her Arrows. ¡°Solomon mate, what about you?¡± Edward asked. They all looked to see where the odd boy, who had warned them last night about his nightmares, lay in his corner cot. And that¡¯s when they realized that Solomon was nowhere to be seen, and a perfect stranger was in his bed, lazily sitting, yawning, and rubbing at their eyes. The pandemonium swiftly returned.
Meredith¡¯s dream the night before had been a nightmare. Sort of. The dream might have been pleasant for another girl, but for Meredith, a swanky ballroom soiree was the seventh layer of hell. And that¡¯s exactly where she found herself after falling asleep, her bloodstream full of the inky dark liquid which Master Reymous had given all the Apprentices. Looking left to right, the ballroom seemed to stretch to infinity. The two parallel, visible walls were obscured with mirrors that gave the room a kaleidoscopic and hallucinatory feeling one might find in a funhouse if one were to ingest too much of the good stuff before entry. A giant chandelier shimmered overhead, reminding one of celestial starscapes, and cosmic gaseous anomalies. Ask someone to a dance. The words appeared in front of Meredith and then faded. She might as well have been tasked with straining water from a stone, or gathering pebbles on a cloud. She could barely talk to strangers, much less ask a perfect stranger to dance with her. She looked around. There were hundreds of people milling about, but they did not appear to be fully there. Their outlines were hazy and indistinct, and their color was faded like Meredith was seeing them through a heavy sheet of rain. Then she noticed a woman walk by her, with nary a glance in Meredith¡¯s direction. The woman was distinct. Her red lips stood out like a stoplight, and her dark hair was sharp and clear; Meredith could see every strand. The woman wore a long, black gown, with a very strange decoration. On one shoulder, there was the head of a giant serpent. Meredith supposed it was kind of like wearing a fox fur or a hat with flowers and birds. Just much creepier. Her eyes followed the woman, as she made her way to a white-clothed table full of champagne glasses. Something trailed the woman. Meredith''s feet followed of their own accord, trying to make out the purplish thing that followed the woman like a trained dog. She wasn¡¯t ten feet away when she finally made it out. Snake It was a word, just one, that had clung to the shadow of the woman in black. Meredith blinked her eyes. Was the word Snake supposed to be an insult, that the woman had to drag around the party? Meredith looked around herself, to see if Freak, Weirdo, or maybe Slimeary was attached to her ankle, by an invisible string. Nothing was there, but as Meredith straightened out, she found the woman¡¯s cold yet alluring eyes examining her. The woman was so inviting, and yet so disturbing, beautiful, and frightening, in equal measures. Meredith wanted to embrace her, yet also hide from her gaze. Poor baby, I can help you. The woman must have spoken the words, but Meredith didn''t hear them, as much as she felt them slither through her consciousness. And she saw with a flash, a very brief vision, of waking up in the dormitory of the Academy, with no recollection of who she was, her personality, her memories wiped clean. She would be free, totally unencumbered by the painful recollections of all the jeers, the shame, the hurt that other kids wrought on her throughout her short life. But, then, would she remember her mother? Would she remember the Sinking Swann? Would she remember to go back there, and help her mum keep their sorry business afloat? The answer came to her, and Meredith stepped back from the woman in black. I need to remember my mum, Meredith thought. The woman shrugged and turned away. Your loss, little one. Meredith scurried to the edge of the room, trying to find more guests that were distinct and sharp, like the woman in black had been. Of course, she realized now, that Snake was one of the Signs. Her job here, she was beginning to understand, was to find herself one of these Signed guests, then pick one, and work up the courage to ask them to dance. The task would be a Herculean effort for little Meredith, but she had to try her best. She had no idea how long the potion would last. What if she never asked anyone? Would the dream simply end? Meredith would probably wake up, and immediately get kicked out of the Academy for being too chicken, and failing whatever strange test this was. And then, the thought of returning to the little caf¨¦, watching it slowly die, and close its doors, when she could have helped, she could have prevented everything¡­ Hugging the walls, she made her way across the ballroom, her eyes searching across the hazy shades of the other guest for another colorful person. She found them! A whole group gathered around a small fountain, chatting with each other. All the guests in this group were brightly colored, and as Meredith crept closer, she could distinguish that each had words underneath their feet. Ladle, underneath a squat little old lady with curly grey hair, who was shoveling pies into her mouth. Water Lily, underneath a beautiful man, with very sad and expressive eyes, dressed in a white dinner shirt, that was decorated with golden ropes, giving him the appearance of being tied up. There was even a young girl there about Meredith¡¯s age! Maybe, Meredith thought, it would be easier to approach and talk to her. Asking another teenager to dance was still scary, but nowhere near the same effort as asking a fully grown adult. The young girl, who trailed the word Holly turned and looked at Meredith, her expression cold. Meredith felt a chill go through her entire body. The girl¡¯s face was passive, her expression seemed frozen on her face, and her empty eyes looked almost dead. It felt like the ballroom was freezing, and the girl, who turned back, seemed very distant. Unapproachable. Maybe not. Meredith stopped by a large grandfather clock, its face, covered with glass, glinted and reflected the light of the enormous chandelier. She noted the time. It was nearly midnight. Meredith hung back, intimidated by the group. She took a long time, just observing, and trying to come up with a way she could discreetly ask one of the guests. More guests, just as colorful, approached the small group, and Meredith could see that they all had words sticking to them. She even saw the woman in black, who she had run into earlier, join the group. She counted them. There were eleven. She had figured out by now that these guests must somehow represent each Sign, and when she asked one of them for a dance, she would effectively select that Sign as her own. But weren¡¯t there twelve Signs? This is unusual. Meredith spun around, almost tripping over her own feet. She wobbled dangerously for a moment, and the man, who had been standing behind her, steadied her by grabbing her hand. His hand was warm, roughly calloused, used to hard labor, Meredith guessed. The man had golden hair and owlish wide blue eyes, clear like the summer sky over a ripe wheat field. His smile was friendly, and his costume was a bit on the shabbier side. His suit, if you could call it that, looked like it had been stitched together from flannel, jeans, shirts, coats, and who knows what else. With the patchy clothes hanging so limply on his frame, the man had the haggard look of a scarecrow. To top off his look, he wore a torn top hat, the upper circle of fabric hanging to the side, like a lolling tongue. But he seemed kind to Meredith, and as she took her hand back from the man, she worked up enough courage to speak. ¡°What¡¯s unusual?¡± She asked quietly. The ballroom. It¡¯s a different game than usual, although the rules are the same. Meredith had no idea what the man was talking about, but she thought it impolite to pry further. She noticed a word dangling underneath this man: Pitchfork. He was another Sign. Standing close to the man, she could see that words were forming underneath Pitchfork. Pitchfork Effect 1: Riddles earn double EXP. Effect 2: ??? Effect 3: ??? Meredith didn¡¯t know anything about EXP, but she supposed she liked riddles, in an offhand way. ¡°Can you help me fit in?¡± She whispered to the man, thinking of the only thing she ever really wanted. The man shook his head sadly. Meredith nodded. She doubted it was within the power of any of the Signs to make her normal. Meredith supposed she ought to just pick one, and be done with it. Maybe this golden-haired man, who approached her, would ask her, and save her the embarrassment. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. She saw him shake his head again, answering her unasked question. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s against the rules, too. Games do have to have rules you know, otherwise, they¡¯re simply no fun. Meredith sighed. She cast a glance at the other eleven Signs, and then back at the man in front of her. She didn¡¯t think she could work up the courage to talk to anyone else. And anyway, the man had come over and spoken to her. Maybe she was meant to pick him. The man smiled again when she examined him. But hadn¡¯t one of the other Apprentices mentioned not to pick Pitchfork? The others. Where were they? They had all drank the same potion. She started looking around, thinking she might spot Tess just around the corner, or maybe the sly form of Julius by the punch bowl. No, no, this is just your show. You won¡¯t find the other five here. She heard the man next to her, and Meredith slumped her shoulders. For an instant, she felt that everything would be easier if the other teenagers were here, at the same party. Hang on, Meredith thought, did he say the other five? There were only four others. Five Apprentices, including herself. Had this man, Mr. Pitchfork, miscounted? Or misspoke? She decided it didn¡¯t matter, and anyway, it was time to be getting on with things. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the guests fidgeting, showing impatience. She felt in her bones that time was running out. Dongggg. The clock behind Meredith had struck twelve. Another dong came, and then another, the mechanical bells inside the clock counting irrevocably to twelve. Hurry, Cinderella! It¡¯s almost over. ¡°Wouldyouliketodancewithme!¡± It all came out as one word, and she struck her shaking hand out to the golden-haired man, who took it laughing. His smile widened, as he drew her closer to him, and led her out to the dance floor. Another dong from the clock but this time, it took so much longer to reach the next chime. They started twirling, the man leading her through an elegant waltz, and Meredith was barely holding on, clutching the man¡¯s arms like a life preserver. Donngggg. The clock sounded far away, and shadowy guests were disappearing one by one. Something was coming over the dance floor. It looked like a fog bank, slowly rolling in. Dongggg. Meredith looked up at the man she was dancing with. His kind and friendly smile had stretched and now looked more unhinged than anything. His eyes were wide and had the wild desperate look of a lunatic. Donnnggg. Pitchfork Effect 1: Riddles earn double EXP. Effect 2: ??? Effect 3: ??? Are you sure? No, she was not sure. As she looked up at the man again, who was singing a song under his breath and smiling deliriously, she thought she made a big mistake. But there simply wasn¡¯t time to fix it. And anyway, she had done the hard part. She asked someone to dance. She did not want to go through that again. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure!¡± Meredith said, and the fog swept through the dance floor. Meredith felt her feet step on something soft, cottony, nothing like the smooth hard dance floor. She flailed but managed to hold on to her dance partner, as he twirled her deeper into the fog. Since this is an unusual game, I have an unusual request for you, Meredith Taylor. A personal request. She looked at her dance partner, who had fixed his wide eyes on her. His smile vanished, and he looked concerned, which was a welcome change from the delirious expression he wore seconds ago. Can you help me find my lost Apprentice? He is scared and alone, in the woods. He needs help. How was she to do that exactly? They took my Sign from him. He has no one, not even me. The fog was so thick all around them that she could hardly see anything. They danced and danced and she felt the moist droplets land on her face, cooling it down. This dream felt so real¡­ Oh yes, dreams, dreams, dreams, what are they but- All nothing, but everything- Meredith was having trouble following the man¡¯s words. Suddenly, light! They had spun and spun through the fog, and crested over the top, and she realized the fog was a cloud layer, and they had danced to the top where the sun turned the crowns of the clouds rosy and peach-colored. Don¡¯t forget my request, Meredith! The man spoke again, and then just as they were twirling to the fluffy hilltop of a sunlit cloud, Meredith felt her feet lose purchase. The man held her for a moment. Pitchfork Effect 1: Riddles earn double EXP. Effect 2: Start with the Curse of Waking Dreams Effect 3: ??? Meredith had just enough time to read the new message, and then her hands, clutching the man¡¯s shoulders passed through him like smoke. Meredith fell through the clouds. She screamed as she fell, Goodbye for now. She heard the man¡¯s words, but they barely registered as she fell and darkness enveloped her.
When the Apprentices realized that someone who was not Solomon had been occupying Solomon¡¯s bed, there was a minor uproar. Where last night, Solomon Beaugiron had gone to sleep, sat a mousy-haired person, of very indistinct features. Julius found a broom next to his bed, and he stood on his thin mattress, the metal spring bed groaning in protest, and brandishing the broom towards the unknown person (who was too far to be in reach of the tips of the bristles anyway). While the other Apprentices were busy with the new mystery, Meredith retreated to her cot. What had she been thinking, getting out of bed, and coming over to a boy, who was a perfect stranger? What would the other four think of her? Mistress, sure of herself as ever, walked over to the intruder and pulled at the collar of his nightshirt. The stranger, who was looking around with fright at the others, let her pull at his clothes with a small whimper. Mistress must have found what she was looking for in the sleeve of the nightshirt; she pointed at something and glanced back at the others. Edward crept closer and looked at where she pointed. ¡°It says S. B. here¡­ S. B., that could mean Solomon Beaugiron.¡± He said, examining the edge of the sleeve, the stranger''s hand still limply hanging in it. ¡°The scoundrel stole his clothes.¡± Julius had put together what Mistress was trying to say, but apparently, he was wrong. Mistress shook her head and then pointed from the intruder to the trunk, which had been Solomon¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re saying he rifled through Solomon¡¯s thing last night?¡± Julius asked, his eyebrows high on his forehead, and his knuckles white around the broom handle. Mistress shook her head aggressively ¡°I think she¡¯s trying to say that this person is Solomon.¡± Meredith piped up, figuring out the other girl¡¯s intention. Mistress nodded quickly. ¡°And why can¡¯t she say it herself?¡± Julius asked. All eyes were on Mistress again. The girl sighed, rolled her eyes, and began a pantomime. She held her hand over her mouth, then around her neck. No one said anything, looking at her with confused expressions. Mistress made a zipping motion over her mouth. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s mute!¡± Edward put it together first. ¡°This is great, just grand,¡± Julius, now relinquishing the broom, began to rant, ¡°the only one of us who has the faintest idea of what''s happening can¡¯t talk, one of us has vanished, and a random bloke has taken his spot!¡± Julius looked at the stranger. ¡°Wait, you are a bloke, aren¡¯t you?¡± Julius asked. Everyone looked at the stranger. It was indeed hard to tell. ¡°Uhhhhhhh¡­¡± the stranger looked from one Apprentice to another but didn¡¯t come up with an answer. ¡°What¡¯s your name?'''' Edward asked. ¡°My name! My name is¡­.¡± The stranger¡¯s brief smile, which had appeared when the Apprentices calmed down and Julius dropped his ¡®weapon,¡¯ swiftly, comically, turned upside down. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said the stranger, looking rather worried about the fact. Mistress kicked the trunk which had been Solomon¡¯s. ¡°Ok, ok, so that¡¯s supposedly Solomon. Although he looks nothing like the guy and doesn¡¯t know his name. Ok, fine, I¡¯ll just press the ¡®I believe button¡¯ here.¡± Julius said peevishly. At this, Edward burst into tears ¡°For god¡¯s sakes, man, whya¡¯re you crying!¡± Julius gaped at the other boy. ¡°I-I don''t know, it¡¯s just all so confusing, everyone¡¯s getting mad at each other, and I just can¡¯t, I just can¡¯t stopper the feelings. It¡¯s like they¡¯re coming out of me like water, I can¡¯t hold on to the emotion at all¡­¡± Meredith and Julius looked at each other. ¡°We''re the only normals left, lass.¡± Julius told her in a low tone. Meredith tried to smile, but she was sure it came out more of a grimace. ¡°I-I had a dream last night,¡± Edward spoke through his veil of tears. As the Apprentices began to discuss their Sign dreams, Meredith realized with horror that she was the odd one out again. No one else had dreamt of a ballroom. No one else saw the Signs personified as colorful guests. All the rest had dreams of floating, disembodied, in a celestial space, with the Signs forming a ring around them. While Meredith had to sweat and bite her nails, trying to work up the courage to speak to an embodiment of Sorcerous Power, it sounded like all they had to do was pick a constellation. Simple as that! ¡°After picking a Sign, did anyone else dream they got eaten by a giant snake?¡± The stranger formerly known as Solomon piped up. This part of the dream appeared to differ. Julius saw tentacles coming from all directions, before enveloping him completely. Edward fell into a pool of water, where Water Lilies floated. Mistress could not divulge the exact arrow-related finale of her dream, but she did nod when asked about the star-dream, indicating that she had shared the experience with the others. ¡°What about you, how did Pitchfork end up getting you?¡± Julius asked. ¡°Fall into a farmer''s field that grew between Orion and Andromeda?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Meredith said quietly, ¡°I had dreamt something else.¡± Meredith always saw things just a little differently than most. After finding out how well others liked her talking to snails and leaves and pencils, Meredith never dared to share the brief glimpses of something other that she would, on occasion, catch. Sometimes, a shadow was just a shadow. But sometimes, late at night, a shadow could be a many-armed, furry thing, crouching in the corner, and looking at Meredith with a multitude of shining, mismatched eyes. She was scared the first couple of times she caught sight of the things, but eventually, she grew quite used to them. She was never bothered by them, anyway. Not like she was bothered by flesh and blood people. And anyway, she sometimes saw things that weren¡¯t shadowy many-armed, or many-winged monsters. Sometimes she saw lovely things. Now and again, on a particularly fresh spring morning, she would catch the tall grass stalks growing in the back alley behind the Sinking Swann dabbing dew on each other, gently caressing one another like a mother might caress her new infant. Sometimes she saw cutlery bend and wiggle, before being picked up by someone. Once, she caught the sight of something pulsating and wiggling amid the glowing logs of the brick fireplace which burned on cool evenings in the caf¨¦. She never told anyone, not even her mom. But now, she was telling a room full of curious Apprentices about her dream of ballrooms and spinning with a golden-haired man, and falling through the clouds. She tried to keep the details vague, but they kept questioning her. The conversation was exceedingly uncomfortable for Meredith. She stuttered and lost her train of thought multiple times, as the others asked her about her dream. She just wasn¡¯t used to sharing things like dreams or thoughts, with anyone. ¡°Well, certainly, it¡¯s odd that your dream was so different from ours,¡± Julius said, and Meredith shrank in on herself, the word odd sending tremors down her spine, ¡°but generally, it seems an identical effect was achieved. You picked your Sign, like all of us, and then like all of us, you got a buff.¡± ¡°And then a debuff!¡± Edward filled in, still swiping at his cheeks to staunch the interminable tears, ¡°The second effect must be some kind of debuff. Mine said ¡®Curse of Pouring Water.¡¯¡± ¡°That must be why you¡¯re pouring water out of your face,¡± Julius said smirking, but Edward¡¯s lips opened in an O, and his gaze became unfocused. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, you¡¯re right!¡± Edward said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My curse has been filled in! It says now: Curse of Pouring Water, I¡¯m unable to stem or staunch the flow of emotions!¡± Edward¡¯s face split into the widest grin Meredith had ever seen. The elation shone out of his face like sunlight. ¡°That makes sense! I had thought that I had simply gone mad! Thank goodness, it¡¯s just a curse.¡± Everyone turned towards Mistress. She nodded, and everyone understood that her muteness was also the cause of the Arrow¡¯s celestial curse. ¡°Mine says Curse of the Weak Arm, but it still only has question marks next to it.¡± Julius said, with a slight frown. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out what it is eventually,¡± Edward said, but Julius resumed looking rather worried at the prospect. ¡°Oh, I think I know what¡¯s happened,¡± said the stranger, who everyone has forgotten momentarily. ¡°Mine is called the Curse of the Unspecified. I am to start with no name no, erm,¡± he looked around at the other four, gauging if he can trust them, ¡° no gender, and no other specifying feature.¡± Everyone naturally grabbed onto the same detail. ¡°No gender??? How does that even work?¡± ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± The stranger leaped out of bed, and seeing the bathroom behind the wooden door hanging ajar, quickly ran in there and shut the door. The other Apprentices held their breath and did not speak while the stranger, presumably the cursed Solomon, checked up on himself. The stranger returned. His face was the precise light green tinge of a young frog. No one asked him any more questions.
There was much discussion on the Signs, the dreams, and of course, the boons and curses. Meredith found that if she unfocused her gaze, she could bring up information about her Sign. Sign: Pitchfork Buffs: Game Master (Riddles earn double EXP). Debuffs: Curse of Waking Dreams (???) Apparently, Water Lily gave Edward a leg up on having Visions. ¡°It says: Helpful Visions are twice as likely. Now, that¡¯s great and all, but what are Visions?¡± Edward asked aloud. Mechanically, everyone turned to Tess for the answer, and then back again remembering that she could not tell anyone anything. ¡°No clue, sorry.¡± Julius answered. ¡°Maybe we ought to find a notepad for Miss Know-It-All, and she could tell us,¡± He said, jerking his head towards Mistress. ¡°I could use some help on mine too. It says higher EXP earned from challenges1. Does it mean any challenge? Like, cooking breakfast might be a challenge?¡± Edward and Meredith shrugged, and Mistress (of course) said nothing. ¡°Mine¡¯s simple enough!¡± Said the stranger cheerfully, ¡°Romance is twice as easy! Ooo watch out everyone!¡± The stranger said, wiggling his eyebrows at the group. ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯d have an easier time believing that bloke is Solomon if he acted at all like him. Not like we were bosom friends before this Initiation business, but I do notice a certain change in personality.¡± Julius commented. And it was true. The new person, supposedly Solomon under the Curse of the Snake Sign, acted nothing like the brooding boy who had been their dorm mate last night. ¡°That makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Edward said, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his long nose, ¡°His curse starts him with no specifying feature. Personality would be a specifying feature, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± Julius answered, unconvinced, and the newly unspecified Solomon said nothing.
3. Working In A Caf茅 Has Given Me A Very Particular Set Of Skills After everyone settled down, and the mystery of the stranger in Solomon''s bed was resolved, things progressed rather normally, for a time. Everyone now referred to the stranger by his former name, Solomon, which made the situation a little more tenable. A good portion of the morning was spent dressing, showering, and chatting about their previous lives and speculating about the unknowable future. Meredith got ready quickly, and sat on her bed, listening to the others. It was sort of nice. She enjoyed being in such close proximity of friendly conversation, as long as it skipped over her, and she did not have to answer questions, or give her opinion on anything. Thankfully, Julius had enough to say for all of them. Finally, it was time to leave the dormitory. Julius strode up to the door leading out of the dormitory. When he tried the door, it wouldn''t budge. ¡°Hey,¡± he cried in a shrill voice, ¡°Hey let us out! Let us out!¡± He went from trying to open the door to banging on it like mad. Mistress easily pushed him aside. She put her hands on the door, and gazed intently at it. Suddenly, a torn page appeared in her hand1. She unraveled it and they all bunched around it to read the contents. Meredith, a full foot shorter than the rest, could barely catch a glimpse. She thought she made out something about an ivory tower and some princesses, before one of the boys, the mousy, indistinct Solomon, piped up. ¡°It¡¯s a riddle!¡± He said. Tess nodded. Her eyes scanned the page quickly. After several moments, she pointed a finger at one of the names. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Asked Julius, more frightened now, then condescending. The locked door, the reality and inescapability of his situation must have rattled the proud boy. Mistress nodded. ¡°I agree with her. It has to be Princess Violet.¡± Solomon added. As he said the Princess¡¯s name, they all heard an audible click. Mistress was the only one brave enough to reach for the handle. It gave easily, and they were all out of the dormitory. ¡°We really should have given that to you, Meredith.¡± Edward said, as they filed out of the single door, referring to Meredith¡¯s buff, which would have given her double EXP. ¡°Oh that¡¯s alright really, no problem.¡± Meredith quickly muttered. ¡°Just the same, we should work together, I think. Let¡¯s make sure Meredith gets the next one, right everyone?¡± Edward said to the group, and got a round of aye¡¯s. Meredith nodded, but inside she cringed. She was sure that she could not solve the riddles as easily as Tess or Solomon. It would be so awkward, having the others wait on her, as she tried her best, but ultimately failed at solving a puzzle.
The first room they discovered was a kitchen. A very rustic and primitive kitchen, but one with meager food supplies and a working sink nonetheless. That was fantastic, since all the Apprentices agreed they were quite hungry. There was just one problem. ¡°Does anyone actually know how to cook?¡± Julius asked the room. ¡°I certainly don''t, so don''t even look at me.¡± Mistress¡¯s eyes immediately fixed on Meredith, but no one noticed this yet. ¡°Never learned it on the road, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Edward confessed. ¡°I didn''t even know my own name this morning, so no, I don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± said Solomon, cheerfully. Mistress shook her head when four pairs of eyes fixed on her, and then pointed a finger at Meredith. Julius looked over, and then remembered something that made his face light up with understanding ¡°Caf¨¦ girl!¡± He exclaimed, ¡°You said you worked at your mother¡¯s caf¨¦! Incidentally, help her out with cooking any?¡± ¡°Erm, well, sort of, but¡­¡± Meredith sputtered. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do better than all of us,¡± Solomon smiled at her in encouragement. Edward joined the conversation. ¡°We¡¯ll eat whatever you make, even if it¡¯s burnt or raw. I¡¯m so hungry, I don¡¯t care what I eat.¡± On boneless legs, Meredith proceeded into the kitchen. Aware of all eyes on her, she started fumbling through the cabinet with nerveless fingers. What if there wasn¡¯t any food? How could she cook, if there wasn¡¯t any- She found some potatoes, and a head of cabbage. And carrots. No meat, (of course, she thought, it would spoil here), a few bouquets of herbs, several bundles of garlic, and dried beans and grains. She thought there might be more food if she scoured the entire kitchen, but she wanted to say something to the inquisitive faces which were following her every step. ¡°Um, well, there¡¯s not much here¡­ Maybe, it would take a long time, but I think the best I could do is make a stew? Or something like that? But it would be awhile before it was ready and-¡± ¡°A stew it is!¡± Julius exclaimed. ¡°A fine match for the lavish accommodations of our freezing and tiny dormitory, and our single toilet to share among five people. If we are to live like peasants, then of course, we will break our fast on stew!¡± Meredith shrank in on herself, noting the sarcasm in the boy''s voice, thinking that her answer had displeased Julius. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Oh, I could make something else! Maybe, I could make baked potatoes, but there¡¯s no butter, I didn¡¯t find any, and I don''t see an oven. There¡¯s got to be something else I can make-¡± She tried to explain herself hurriedly, ¡°No, no, a stew is fine.¡± Edward said, shooting Julius a look. ¡°Make us a stew, Meredith.¡± It was settled, and Meredith got busy, noting with relief that the Apprentices¡¯ attention was no longer fixed on her. There was one problem, she noted, as she started washing the vegetables under the rusty tap. There isn¡¯t a fire. She was used to stoves, but all they had was a fireplace. She decided she did not want undue attention at this moment, and kept the problem to herself, while the others chatted. ¡°Leytown is a bit of a hole, isn¡¯t it?¡± Julius drawled behind Meredith¡¯s back as she struggled peeling a potato with the dull knife that she found , ¡°I told my man, Harrison, let¡¯s stay in Celine City. We¡¯ll travel to the Academy day of, but no, the old coot insisted we stay just down the road.¡± ¡°I rather thought it was charming.¡± Edward replied, ¡°Simple, in a provincial way. I must have stayed in the same inn, the one down the road¡­¡± The two boys discussed their previous night, noting how closely they had shared quarters without bumping into each other. Julius continued his refrain that Leytown was more of a dump than the pleasant hamlet which Edward found it to be. ¡°And the animals, by god, you¡¯d think the townsfolk would do something about it.¡± Julius sniffed. ¡°The animals?¡± Edward asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t see it. The mangiest dog that¡¯s ever walked the earth. I thought it was dead, lying next to the entrance of the inn, but the rotten thing got up and shambled off when I got close. Monstrous thing it was, its jaw hanging loose, the fur all ripped up?¡± The other boy said he had not seen such a dog, but Meredith was struck by Julius¡¯s recollection. She had stayed in a cheap country hotel with her mother that was on the outskirts of Leytown. Unable to sleep the night prior to Initiation, she had snuck outside to gaze dreamily at the moon. As she sat on the creaky steps leading to the dilapidated hotel, she had spooked a raccoon that crept away from her (crept, not sprinted, as the night-time bandits are wont to do when surprised by the stray human). The raccoon made for the bushes, and by its way, crept through a patch of bright moonlight, unobstructed by the hotel and surrounding trees. Meredith thought that she was seeing one of her shadow monstrosities, which no one else ever noticed. Half the raccoon¡¯s side was missing, as thought a large animal had taken a giant chomp of the poor bandit. Surely, in such a state, the raccoon could not have been alive. Meredith didn¡¯t pay it much mind, until she had heard Julius¡¯s story. But she decided that it was simply a coincidence, and refocused herself on her work. She had washed and peeled the vegetables, and was moving on to chopping them with the sorry knife. The repetitive task had calmed her. Soon enough, sure that the other apprentices were not talking to her, she was daydreaming, like she often did working alongside her mother, in their tiny backroom where they did the cooking and kept a stock room. It was one of her favorite pastimes, letting the strength of her imagination carry her through mundane chores. She would pretend she was sweeping the flagged stone of a mighty castle, waiting for her knight in shining armor to return (although, of course, she was only sweeping the porch that led to The Sinking Swan). Or, Meredith would imagine she was boiling up a powerful potion when she was only shopping up ingredients for dinner. She would sometimes catch herself muttering aloud, going along with her fantasies, and reciting the make-believe ingredients. Maybe, she thought, turning around to catch a glimpse of the other teenagers, it wouldn¡¯t be such a good idea to lose herself in her imagination right now. But her imagination had long been trained to respond to repetitive tasks. Whether Meredith wanted or not, her daydreams came, and this time, perhaps spurred by the recent stresses of the initiation, they were much more life-like. She could almost hear the screech of the owl, which had been a frequent companion in her dreams, occasionally offering her sage advice on whatever problem Meredith faced. She could see the enchanted forest around her, and it was hard to make out the voices of the other Apprentices. They sounded so far away.
Meredith came back to reality with her head on Edward''s shoulder. She recoiled instantly, her breath coming in rapid short spurts. What happened? What had she done? All the Apprentices were looking at her with a quizzical expression. She remembered the daydream now. A handsome prince found her as she boiled her potion in the gloom of a forest hollow. But it wasn¡¯t real! She hadn¡¯t actually thought Edward Haoulle was the prince in her imagination? With horror, trying to recall how she ended up in the boy¡¯s arms, she understood that was exactly what happened. She had let herself get completely blown away on a whim of a fancy, and had grabbed the unsuspecting boy to try to dance him through the kitchen which only moments ago had been full of old, thick trees, their bark gnarled and covered with soft lichen. The game was up, they knew she was a weirdo, Meredith realized looking at the other Apprentices. It had been going so well. She was used to being ostracized but she had thought here, everything might be different. They were being nice to her. Not anymore, a snide voice in Meredith''s head informed her, now they all know. Meredith choked out a sob, and rather than face the jeers she knew were coming, she ran out of the room. She barely caught sight of it, but her curse revealed itself: Curse of Waking Dreams: Occasionally lose control of a wild and overwhelming imagination.
Meredith hid herself in the bathroom and sobbed quiet tears into her sleeves. Things had been going so well. How could she have messed up so badly? How could she have let herself grab poor Edward and try to dance with him? It was completely inappropriate. And, this had never happened to her! Her daydreams were always innocuous, disappearing like the morning fog when Meredih needed to face reality. She was frightened that something was seriously wrong with her head The door creaked open, and Meredith flinched. Tess walked into the tiny bathroom. Meredith didn¡¯t know what she expected the other girl to do, but she braced herself for whatever it was. Tess just sat next to her, their shoulder touching The effect of Tess''s silence was miraculous. Meredith had never shared any of her fears, any of her sadness with her classmates (how could she?). But the other girl just wasn¡¯t saying anything, and the silence, which thundered in Meredith¡¯s head, made not speaking unbearable. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I acted like that.¡± Meredith choked out. She felt a light, friendly bump on her shoulder. She looked over at Tess and the other girl waved her hand. What did it mean? Don¡¯t worry about it? Bygones are bygones? Maybe, it meant leave, and don¡¯t bother us, we¡¯re too good for you? Then Tess smiled, and Meredith knew she wasn¡¯t trying to make her leave. ¡°I think my curse acted up,¡± Meredith said, underplaying the extent of her fear, ¡°I¡¯ll try not to let it happen again.¡± Tess shrugged, as though to say that it probably will, and stood up. She offered Meredith a hand, and the smaller girl took it. ????